5About the times and the seasons:^f Brothers and sisters, you do not need anything to be written to you. ²For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord^g will come just like a thief^h in the night. ³When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destructionⁱ will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, for this day to surprise you like a thief.^j ⁵For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.^k ⁶So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled. ⁷For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled^l and put on the armor^m of faith and love, and a helmetⁿ of the hope of salvation. ⁹For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord^o Jesus Christ,^p ¹⁰who died for us,^q so that whether we are awake or asleep,^r we may live together with him.^s ¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

EXHORTATIONS AND BLESSINGS

¹²Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to give recognition^t to those who labor among you and lead you^A in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace^u among yourselves. ¹⁴And we exhort you, brothers and sisters:^v warn those who are idle,^B comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient^w with everyone. ¹⁵See to it that no one repays evil for evil^x to anyone,^y but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.^z ¹⁶Rejoice^aa always, ¹⁷pray constantly, ¹⁸give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will^ab for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹Don’t stifle the Spirit. ²⁰Don’t despise prophecies, ²¹but test all things.^ac Hold on to what is good. ²²Stay away^ad from every kind of evil.

²³Now may the God of peace^ae himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit,^af soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming^ag of our Lord^ah Jesus Christ.^ai ²⁴He who calls^aj you^ak is faithful; he will do it. ²⁵Brothers and sisters, pray for us also. ²⁶Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. ²⁷I charge you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers and sisters.^al ²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

AOr care for you
BOr who are disorderly, or who are undisciplined

Cross references

f Dn 2:21; Ac 1:7
g Jl 2:1; Mt 25:13; Ac 2:20; Php 1:6
h Jn 10:1
i 2Th 1:9
j Jb 24:13–17
k Col 1:13
l 1Pt 5:8
m Eph 6:14; Rv 9:9,17
n 1Sm 17:5,38; Ps 60:7; 108:8; Is 59:17; Eph 6:17
o Rv 11:8
p Ac 15:26
q Jn 11:51; Rm 14:9; 1Co 8:11; Gl 1:4
r 1Th 5:6
s Lk 20:38; Php 1:23
t 1Co 16:18; Php 2:29
u Mk 9:50
v 2Th 3:15
w Mt 18:26,29; Lk 18:7; 1Co 13:4; Heb 6:15; Jms 5:7–8; 2Pt 3:9
x Mt 5:44; Rm 12:17; 1Pt 3:9
y Lk 7:47
z Rm 12:9; Gl 6:10; 1Th 5:21
aa 2Co 6:10; Php 1:18
ab Eph 6:6; 1Th 4:3; 1Pt 2:15; 4:2; 1Jn 2:17
ac Eph 5:17
ad 1Tm 4:3
ae Rm 15:33
af Ps 51:12
ag 1Th 1:10
ah Rv 11:8
ai 1Jn 2:28
aj Col 3:15
ak 1Pt 1:15
al Col 4:16